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Because of inclement weather, we are postponing the tree planting in Mayfield from this Saturday to April 14th. On the 14th, we will meet at the intersection of Howison Avenue and Howard Avenue in the Mayfield neighborhood The planting event will start promptly at 9 a.m. with a safety talk. We cannot allow you to plant with us if you miss the safety talk. Please arrive about 8:45 on March 24th to sign in and get your equipment. Please wear closed toe shoes – no sandals. We supply all of the tools and equipment for the planting.

Please let Anne Little know if you are able to plant with us on the 14th, by emailing her at treefred@cox.net.

Thanks to everyone who volunteered for the Oct. 21 planting at the train station, but due to the protracted drought we’ve been experiencing, it’s just too dry for planting that weekend (and maybe for the rest of the fall, including our Nov. 4 planting–stay tuned for word on that). The little bit of rain we just had only amounted to half an inch, not nearly enough. But no worries. We’ll be back at it in the spring!

Wow! Record response to our Free Tree Giveaway. All the trees are already reserved, so afraid everybody else is going to have to wait until next year’s Free Tree Giveaway. We’re grateful for the interest–and so much passion for planting trees and helping the cause of re-establishing Fredericksburg’s vital tree canopy.

To volunteer, email Tree Fred Volunteer Coordinator Steve Watkins at swatkins000@gmail.com. We’ll be planting rain or shine, unless there’s thunder and lightning. Be sure to wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes. We’ll provide all the tools and safety equipment necessary, though volunteers should bring sunglasses (or if they wear glasses – that will be fine) for eye protection. We will have safety goggles but they are not as comfortable as glasses.. All planting teams will be led by experienced volunteers and Tree Fredericksburg Tree Stewards. Be sure to show up 15 minutes early for instructions and planting demonstration. Kids and groups are welcome.

This is a green event. We will have water and cups but no bottle water. We are asking all who volunteer with us to bring a water bottle to fill and use so we do not have any plastic waste.

Email Tree Fredericksburg Development Director Steve Watkins at swatkins000@gmail.com if you or your group or business would like to volunteer. We’ll be planting 50 trees on each of the first three Saturdays, and 110 trees at Fall Hill on the 22nd.

The Tuesday before each planting, several volunteers will be working with Tree Fredericksburg staff to prepare the trees—washing root balls—at the little park on Powhatan Street, across from Hugh Mercer Elementary. Let us know if you’d like to volunteer to help with that as well.

Thanks, Fredericksburg! We’re planted more than 5,000 trees over the past several years. Our target is 5,000 more.

Thanks to a grant from the City of Fredericksburg’s Economic Development Authority JumpStart! program, Tree Fredericksburg planted 65 new trees–35 Crepe Myrtles, and 30 small trees (Redbuds, Cherries, etc.) to fit under all the overhead wires–along Lafayette Boulevard in celebration of Earth Day, 2016. The great folks at Marstel-Day were our volunteer workers for the plantings, and did a fantastic job–as always! Here are a couple of AFTER (and three BEFORE) photos of Lafayette.

BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER
When the city needed 175 trees planted along the Heritage Trail, they called in Tree Fredericksburg. Here’s what the trail looked like before the planting (top), then during the planting with more than 50 volunteers hard at work (center), and now today (bottom). In the future, the three-mile walking, running, and biking trail will have plenty of much-needed shade. Help us help these canopy trees thrive by donating what you can to Tree Fredericksburg during the 24-hour Community Give. We’re in desperate need of a new truck! Click HERE on May 3 to make your donation.

Last year, Tree Fredericksburg planted 150 trees in Dixon Park. The 40 volunteers who did all the work came from George Mason University and planted those trees in celebration of their friend’s 21st birthday. They all wrote birthday wishes and buried them under the roots when they planted the trees. A number of the volunteers were from Thailand and had never used a shovel. They wore traditional silk robes with silk shoes, and they dug their hearts out. They plan to come visit the trees after five years to celebrate their friendship. Every tree we plant has a story. Help us keep these stories–and these trees–alive. Next Tuesday, May 3, please contribute what you can to support Tree Fredericksburg (and help us buy the new truck we need to water all these new trees!) during the Community Give.

FIVE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED SIXTY EIGHT. That’s the number of trees we’ve planted in Fredericksburg over the past seven years. Help us keep planting–and watering, and taking proper care of–all these wonderful trees. To do that we need a new truck. Our current one has more than 250,000 miles on it. You can pitch in to help on May 3 by donating a penny a tree–$51.68 (or whatever you can)–during the Community Give.

The sad news is a great many of them, especially the Bradford Pears, were dead or dying—or the wrong size for the narrow spaces for planting, or too close to one another, or too close to where car doors open in parking spaces. So they had to come down.

The happy news is that they’re all being replaced this spring, over the next couple of weeks. New trees are being placed at the parking lines so the trees are 22 feet apart and there is no conflict with those car doors. The species that the city is planting are all narrow and only get 15 feet wide and about 35 feet tall. This prevents them from hitting buildings and causing damage. The trees are very upright and allow visibility of the retail establishments and restaurants while giving the beauty and benefits of trees in our downtown.

The species that are being planted are Everclear Elms, Musashino Zelkovas, and Princeton Sentry Gingkoes. This will create a narrow upright canopy along our streets, helping keep our sidewalks cool, reduce the noise of traffic, and create a welcoming environment for visitors to our downtown. Studies have shown that trees in retail districts increase sales because visitors are more likely to linger and walk in a shady tree environment.

The city will also be adding rubberized mulch to the tree wells to make the walking experience safer for our visitors.